Legendary Biotar 75/f1.5 Lens is Making a Comeback Thanks to Kickstarter!

(original Biotar 75/1.5 on the left and promised new one on right)

The Biotar 75/1.5 lens is probably the most legendary lens ever produced in Germany. And now thanks to crowdfunding. It's coming back.

The original Biotar 75/1.5 was first introduced in 1938, and not only was it the fastest portrait lens ever built, but not many faster lenses have been built since. It was coveted for its speed and precision, however, it was exorbitantly expensive for the times, with an eight to ten thousand dollar price tag when adjusted for inflation.

Due to the second world war and to its high price at the time it remained a very special lens for the selected few. It has become one of the most expensive vintage lenses on the market today, with working models easily selling for over a thousand dollars. If you can afford one, the results can be stunning.

What really separates the Biotar 75/1.5, in my eyes, from other lenses, is its swirly bokeh. Outside of a Helios 44-2 you'd be hard-pressed to find images that are this sharp at the center with as dramatic of a bokeh swirl at the edges, rendering the out of focus parts of the image in a spectacular circular fashion. It gives the pictures an otherworldly ethereal feeling like the subjects don't have a care in the world. Here some stunning examples from the new lens.

The company is making lens mounts for almost all high-end DSLRs and Film cameras including:

Canon,

Nikon,

Sony-E

Leica-M (rangefinder coupling supported.)

FujiX

M42

and new: Pentax-K

This is really exciting, however, the danger of funding something via Kickstarter is always "will I ever actually get this product." However, as of this posting, they've already exceeded their 75k dollar goal by almost 300k. So, it's funded, which means you have a better chance of actually getting one of these things.

Any of the contributor amounts will get you one of these snazzy new Biotar 75/1.5 lenses and they still have a few left at the $950 price. No idea why anyone would knowingly want to donate at either the $1,000 or 1,050 level as they all offer the same reward. So, if you don't outsmart yourself, you can save $100 bucks on one of these sweet new lenses.